Sacramento Kings forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim underwent cleanup surgery Tuesday on his right knee.

Abdur-Rahim, an 11-year NBA veteran, had loose particles removed from his knee, the team said in a statement. He will require several weeks of recovery, but is expected to be ready for training camp in October.

The Sacramento Kings exercised contract options for the 2008-09 season on forward Francisco Garcia and guard Quincy Douby on Friday.

Garcia averaged 6.0 points and 2.6 rebounds last season as a reserve for the Kings, who drafted him in 2005 out of Louisville, where new Sacramento coach Reggie Theus was an assistant to Rick Pitino. Garcia will make $1.17 million next season and $1.98 million in 2008-09.

Douby, a first-round pick from Rutgers, scored 2.8 points per game while playing sparingly as a rookie last season. He is slated to make $1.33 million next season and $1.43 million in 2008-09.

Sacramento also made qualifying offers to guard Ronnie Price and forward Justin Williams, who both made the club as undrafted free agents. They are scheduled to be restricted free agents, and the Kings will have the right to match any contract offer they receive this summer.

As Jerry Tarkanian understood it, the Sacramento Kings' owners and general manager disagreed on the choice of the team's next head coach. The Maloofs wanted New Mexico State's Reggie Theus, and Geoff Petrie preferred Lakers assistant Brian Shaw.

"I think I got Reggie the job," Tarkanian said Wednesday afternoon.

When it appeared that Shaw would be the Kings' choice over the weekend, Tark spent 45 minutes with Joe Maloof on the telephone Sunday night. Rick Pitino had long talks with Maloof and Petrie, too.

"Reggie called me Saturday after he had the second interview and thought he was right there," Tarkanian said. "But he was still the dark horse. Joe told me he, his brother and mother were really strong on Reggie, but Geoff still liked Shaw. I told Joe, 'This comes down to you and Gavin (Maloof) if you don't win. How come you aren't making the choice?' "

From the beginning of the Kings' coaching search, the message was made clear by team co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof that this decision would be made by basketball president Geoff Petrie.

Although the process at times begged the validity of that assertion, nowhere was it more true than the mini-pursuit of Larry Brown. When the Hall of Fame coach expressed an interest to The Bee and reiterated his feeling publicly again a day later, Petrie eventually called him. It was, according to Brown and his agent, a short talk Tuesday that disclosed Petrie's true intentions.

"I had a 20-minute discussion, and I listened most of the time," Brown said Wednesday by telephone. "I think they had their minds made up before, to be honest. You talk 20 minutes on the phone, and most of the time you listen, I think obviously he had his mind made up."

Brown said he asked to meet with the Maloofs and Petrie but was rebuffed.

News10 in Sacramento is reporting that New Mexico State head coach and former NBA player Reggie Theus will be named the head coach of the Sacramento Kings tomorrow.

Theus replaces Eric Mussleman who was dismissed after one season as Kings head coach.

News10 in Sacramento is reporting that New Mexico State head coach and former NBA player Reggie Theus will be named the head coach of the Sacramento Kings tomorrow.

Theus replaces Eric Mussleman who was dismissed after one season as Kings head coach.

If the first day was any indication, the prospect of Larry Brown coaching the Kings seemed about as likely as Ohio State center Greg Oden coming to Sacramento with the No. 10 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

One day after the Hall of Fame coach expressed an interest in the Kings' vacancy, neither party called the other to facilitate a discussion. Reached at his Philadelphia home late Saturday night, Brown said he wouldn't be the first one to call. Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie and co-owner Gavin Maloof did not return calls Saturday evening for comment.

"I don't think it's my place to go after a job," Brown said while watching the College World Series. "I have too much respect for Geoff and people like that to put my name out there and go after it. I'm not comfortable doing that, and ... if they have an interest and want to pursue it, that's entirely up to them."

Larry Brown, the veteran coach who had a disappointing single season coaching the New York Knicks in his most recent stint on the bench, would be interested in getting back into coaching with the Sacramento Kings, a newspaper reported.

"I want to get back," Brown told the Sacramento Bee from his home in Philadelphia. "I miss it terribly. I haven't lost the passion to teach and coach. I don't want to end my career at 23-59. I feel I can do better. I look at Sacramento ... I respect the heck out of Geoff [Petrie]. I coached half that team. I don't mind going somewhere that's rebuilding, but wherever I go, I want everybody to feel that I'm the right person."

New Mexico State's Reggie Theus was in Las Vegas Friday morning for a second interview with the Sacramento Kings.

Theus, who was scheduled to meet with team owners Gavin and Joe Maloof, told ESPN.com that he had no idea where he stood in the process, but said he expected it to be wrapped up soon.

The Kings were also expecting to meet with Lakers assistant Brian Shaw, according to multiple media reports.

Kurt Rambis is believed to no longer be a candidate for the head coaching job in Sacramento and will remain a Lakers assistant coach. The Kings' coaching position is as unclear as it was a month ago, with no consensus candidate emerging.